ABU DHABI, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s
largest healthcare network, has introduced a new screening facility in Musaffah
to further support the National Screening Project, which is designed to
facilitate widespread COVID-19 testing.

The new programme has been established in collaboration with the
Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, Abu Dhabi
Police, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, the Department of
Municipalities and Transport, and the Federal Authority for Identity and
Citizenship.

The National Screening Project is an initiative launched to test
335,000 residents and employees in the Musaffah area over the next two weeks
and increase their awareness of the preventative measures needed to minimize
the risk of contracting the virus, as well as what to do if they start experiencing
symptoms.

The UAE has completed over one million tests since recording its
first case in late January, placing the nation sixth globally in terms of tests
administered per country.

This initiative is part of the UAE government’s mission to test
as many people as possible and provide the necessary medical care for those who
require it. The launch of the National Screening Project plays a critical role
in providing easy and convenient testing facilities to Mussafah residents.

Additionally, the initiative also ensures that people have
access to trained medical teams and volunteers who speak their languages. The
Department of Economic Development has encouraged the private sector to ensure
all the employees are tested and there is appropriate awareness on COVID-19.
The Department of Municipalities and Transport will be providing free public
transport to and from the facilities.

As part of the National Screening Project, SEHA has constructed
and will operate a new screening center, which spreads across 3,500 sqm and
will increase Abu Dhabi’s daily screening capacity by 80 percent. The newly
built center has been designed to ensure the comfort and safety of both the
visitors and healthcare professionals. Fully air-conditioned to provide maximum
comfort as temperatures rise, the center will feature contactless registration,
triaging, and swabbing. SEHA nurses will collect swabs from within fully sealed
cabins to reduce infection transmission.

The new center will complement the existing healthcare
infrastructure available in Musaffah, including the National Screening Center
in M42 (near the bazar tent) and the National Screening Center in M1 (Old
Mussafah clinic), which have been revamped by SEHA for this project and can
receive 7,500 visitors collectively per day.

The National Screening Project will also be supported by two
additional facilities managed by Burjeel Hospital in M12 (next to Al Masood)
and Capital Health Screening Centre in M12 (in the Al Mazrouei building) with a
capacity of 3,500 visitors each per day.

All the screening facilities in the Musaffah area will work
together to ensure that all those who present with symptoms, have associated
risk factors such as age or chronic diseases, or have come into contact with a
confirmed case have quick and easy access to safe testing facilities and
world-class, quality care.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of the
Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “In line with the direction of the
UAE’s leadership to protect our community, the Government of Abu Dhabi is
coming together to support the healthcare sector and make sure that each and
every resident of the UAE has easy access to a safe screening facility. This
will swiftly help identify confirmed cases which is critical to lessen the
transmission of COVID-19. Expanding testing and ensuring healthcare services
are easily available is a key part of our strategy to combat the current public
health challenge.”

The establishment of the new testing facilities is the latest in
a series of strategic initiatives introduced by SEHA as part of the healthcare
network’s continuing pivotal role in the nation’s response to COVID-19. The
screening centers will be managed by healthcare professionals from across the
SEHA network.

To ensure the safety of the visitors and run an efficient
process, SEHA has also partnered with Volunteers.ae to bring on-board trained
volunteers for on ground and logistical support during the National Mohammed
Hawas Al Sadid, CEO, Ambulatory Healthcare Services, said: “The COVID-19 virus
poses a high risk of fast transmission and it is essential that we screen as
many people as possible to identify those who might have contracted the virus,
particularly those who may be asymptomatic. The new screening facilities will
strengthen the existing healthcare infrastructure in Abu Dhabi as we all work
towards a shared mission; keeping our people safe and stopping the spread of
COVID-19.”

To efficiently screen as many residents as possible, all
visitors to the new screening facilities will be triaged to determine their
risk category and identify priority cases for fast track testing.

Dr. Noura Al Ghaithi, Chief Operations Officer, Ambulatory
Healthcare Services, said: “We are working closely with other testing
facilities in Abu Dhabi as well as employers and contractor accommodations to
raise awareness and encourage those who reside and work in the Musaffah area to
visit screening centers. Keeping all areas of the community safe and quickly
identifying positive cases is a national priority, and we are honored to play
our part in driving this forward.”

The National Screening Project will launch on Thursday April 30
with the goal to screen 335,000 people over the next two weeks. The five
screening facilities will be operational from 9:00am to 3:00pm during this
time, including during the weekends. In addition to the National Screening
Project, SEHA is launching new screening facilities in the Al Dhafra Region and
Al Ain to test residents in those areas.

Other initiatives introduced by SEHA in the response to the
COVID-19 outbreak include the establishment of three field hospitals in
preparedness for a potential influx of confirmed cases, the preparation of Al
Rahba Hospital and Al Ain Hospital as facilities to exclusively treat
coronavirus and quarantine patients, and the development of a dedicated
WhatsApp bot to immediately respond to the community’s coronavirus-related
concerns or enquiries.